One of the greatest players in program history, Gilly Lane C’07 was named head coach of the University of Pennsylvania men's squash program in March of 2016. Prior to that, he spent the 2015-16 season as Associate Head Coach for both Penn squash programs under Director of Squash Jack Wyant, after being brought back to campus full-time in July of 2013 as an assistant coach.
In 2025, the Quakers earned the sixth Ivy League title in program history with an undefeated conference record (6-0). Ranked No. 1 by the CSA for the entirety of the season, the Red and Blue finished the year 20-0, capturing the second national championship in program history and setting a program record for most wins in a season.
Halfway through the season, Marwan Abdelsalam, Salman Khalil, Omar Hafez, and Nick Spizzirri competed in the A Division in the CSA Individual Championship tournament. Abdelsalam went 1-1 in the tournament with Spizzirri falling in the quarterfinal round. Khalil and Hafez squared off in the Pool Trophy final, marking the third time in program history that two Quakers were battling for the title in the final match. Khalil became the fifth player in program history to hoist the trophy, ending a 46-year drought for the program. He later became the only Quaker to hoist both the Pool Trophy and the Potter Cup in the same season. Following the conclusion of the season, Lane was honored as the Ivy League's Coach of the Year, with five athletes named to All-Ivy squads and setting a program record with five CSA All-Americans. Abdelsalam was named as the Ivy League Rookie of the Year, the fourth consecutive Quaker to win the award, while also being named to the conference first team and as a second-team CSA All-American. Khalil was named the unanimous Ivy League Player of the Year, also being named to the conference first team and recognized as a first-team CSA All-American. Hafez and Spizzirri were named to the All-Ivy first team, also garnering CSA All-American recognition. Program wins leader Nathan Kueh earned All-Ivy second team and Academic All-Ivy distinctions, and was later named as a second-team CSA All-American.
In 2024, the Quakers captured the national championship, securing the Potter Cup trophy for the first time in program history.
The Quakers earned the fifth Ivy League title in program history (shared with Princeton) and were ranked No. 1 by the CSA for much of the year. Penn finished 15-2, went 5-1 throughout the conference and were a perfect 10-0 at the Penn Squash Center. The Red and Blue began the year winning 12 straight matches. Following the conclusion of the season, Salman Khalil was named Ivy League Rookie of the Year, marking the third straight season a Quaker has earned the honor, as Nick Spizzirri and Omar Hafez were first-team All-Ivy and CSA first-team All-America selections. Lane’s squad saw for men compete at CSA individuals, as Khalil, Spizzirri and Hafez competed in the Pool Trophy (A Division) and Abdelrahman Dweek battled in the Molloy Cup (B Division), with Spizzirri falling in the semifinal.
Under Lane's watch as head coach, Penn has put together a 97-28 record that includes a 36-11 mark in Ivy League play. Penn also has made its first two appearances in the College Squash Association (CSA) Potter Cup final during Lane's tenure, falling to Harvard in the national championship match in both 2020 (6-1 score) and 2022 (5-4). The Quakers also finished third in the Potter Cup in 2019 and fourth in 2023.
After not competing in 2020-21 due to Ivy League COVID-19 regulations, Penn made program history in 2021-22 with an undefeated regular season that had them wire-to-wire as the No. 1 team in the CSA's national rankings. The campaign was capped by the program’s first Ivy League title since the 1973-74 season and its first undisputed league title since 1968-69. Following the season, Lane was named Ivy League Coach of the Year, freshman Nathan Kueh was the Ivy Rookie of the Year, and seniors Andrew Douglas and Aly Abou Eleinen were first-team All-Ivy and CSA All-America selections. Additionally, Penn beat Harvard for the first time since February of 2016, knocked off Trinity on the road for the first time since January of 1990, and won 10 matches by shutout which broke the old record of nine (set by Lane's 2019-20 team).
The Red and Blue reached the Potter Cup final for the first time in program history in 2019-20, defeating second-seeded Trinity in the semifinal for its first win over the Bantams since 1996. Douglas was named the first three-time first-team CSA All-America in program history and four total players were named All-America overall.
Under Lane's watch, the program earned the CSA's No. 1 ranking for the first time in history during the 2018-19 season and finished second in the Ivy League. The Quakers defeated Princeton and Yale in the same season and started 4-0 in Ivy League play for the first since 1973-74, with the Quakers' win at Yale being its first in New Haven since Lane's senior season. Penn went on to win 14 matches and placed third in the Potter Cup. Individually, Abou Eleinen became just the third freshman in program history to be named first-team All-Ivy and first-team CSA All-America. For a second straight season, Douglas earned first-team All-Ivy and All-America honors as he advanced to the semifinal round at CSA Individuals.
Among many notable wins in 2016-17, the Quakers recorded their first triumph at Princeton since 1973 and beat Yale in a Potter Cup match for their first win over the Bulldogs since 2006. In his second season, 2017-18, Lane led Penn to a sixth-place finish in the Potter Cup. The Quakers once again defeated Yale, this time in the regular season, their first such win over the Bulldogs since 1995. The Red and Blue also defeated Cornell in Ithaca for the first time since 2005. Following the season, Douglas became just the second freshman in Penn men's squash history to win first-team All-America and first team All-Ivy in the same season.
In 2014-15, Lane helped guide a Penn women's squash team that went a perfect 7-0 in the Ivy League, claiming the program's third Ivy League championship. The Quakers went on to finish the season 14-3 overall and fourth at the CSA Howe Cup. Three players from that team were named CSA All-America: Anaka Alankamony and Marie Stephan first-team, and Yan Xin Tan second-team. All three also were named All-Ivy. He also assisted the men's team, which finished 9-8 overall with a 3-4 Ivy League record. The Quakers reached the CSA Potter Cup in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2008-09 and finished seventh, with freshman Marwan Mahmoud earning second-team CSA All-America as well as All-Ivy.
In the first season following his return, 2013-14, Lane helped lead the men's team to a No. 8 CSA national ranking and their first Potter Cup appearance since 2009, and the women's team to a No. 4 CSA national ranking. Lane also spent the 2010-11 season with the Penn programs, as the women finished the season ranked fifth in the nation while the men advanced to the Hoehn Cup final.
In March of 2015, Lane was selected as coach of the U.S. Squash men’s team at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada which took place that July.
The Philadelphia native won three Professional Squash Association (PSA) titles during his pro career, reached eight PSA Tour finals, and held a world ranking as high as 48th which was the second-best ranking ever for an American at the time.
A member of the US National Team since 2007, Lane was runner-up at the US Nationals four times. In 2011, he helped the U.S. team to seventh at the World Championships in Paderborn, Germany, the team’s best finish at that event. Lane also was a member of the United States’ gold medal-winning men’s team at the 2008 Pan American Games in Cuenca, Ecuador.
Lane had an impressive college career at Penn, earning All-America, All-Ivy, and team MVP all four years, as well as serving as captain as a junior and senior. He was also the first Penn player to receive the College Squash Association's (CSA) Skillman Award, given to a player who exemplifies leadership, sportsmanship, and achievement over his career.
Lane graduated from Penn in 2007 with a B.A. in American History. He and his wife, Stephanie (who played college lacrosse at Drexel), live in Springfield Montgomery County and have a son, Landon.
